Isaiah 1:18-20 ESV
18 “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord:
though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. 19 If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; 20 but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be eaten by the sword; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
Please read Psalm 66:18 and Proverbs 28:13. I thought of these verses right off because this portion of scripture the Lord is putting it all on the table: "You have sinned, but you can be clean."
Personally, I see Isaiah 1:19-20 in a new light, and that would be accepting or rejecting the forgiveness God has for us and the results of following either path. Obedience and disobedience in this case could very well be the difference of confessing and forsaking the sin or holding and hiding the sin.
2 Corinthians 7:10 talks about godly grief/sorrow and worldly grief/sorrow. We started with God addressing our sin and giving us a choice to accept forgiveness or to reject it. 2 Corinthians 7:10 guides us in understanding that accepting that forgiveness is no light matter, but comes from the sorrow we know from disobeying God in the first place. Guilt, or worldly sorrow, doesn't produce the confessing or forsaking but rather produces either rebellion or depression, i.e. death.
What does this mean to us? We sin. God knows. We know. We can be feel bad about it, beat ourselves up over it and just shut off God from our lives. Or we grieve because we disobeyed God, turn from and forsake the sin and then continue to grow in the Lord.
Showing posts with label forgiveness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label forgiveness. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Monday, August 11, 2008
True Security
Psalm 139:1-6 ESV
O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar.
3 You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.
5 You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.
The Lord knows us - soup to nuts He knows us. So why is this true security? Some may see this as the ultimate fear. But let's face it, the Lord knows us warts and all and still loves us. He still chose to be our ransom to free us for sin. He chooses to dwell in somebody like you or even me (1 Cor 6:19-29).
Who better knows how to equip us for our day to day existence? The Lord knows where we need the most help and He does provide. We may not always see the provision, because what we need the most is obedience and putting down our old nature (Rom 12:1-2).
Verse 5 also shows us the kind of security He provides. He protects us in where we are going, where we have been and where we are now. Yes, He does know your every move, but take comfort that He is there with you.
O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar.
3 You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.
5 You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.
The Lord knows us - soup to nuts He knows us. So why is this true security? Some may see this as the ultimate fear. But let's face it, the Lord knows us warts and all and still loves us. He still chose to be our ransom to free us for sin. He chooses to dwell in somebody like you or even me (1 Cor 6:19-29).
Who better knows how to equip us for our day to day existence? The Lord knows where we need the most help and He does provide. We may not always see the provision, because what we need the most is obedience and putting down our old nature (Rom 12:1-2).
Verse 5 also shows us the kind of security He provides. He protects us in where we are going, where we have been and where we are now. Yes, He does know your every move, but take comfort that He is there with you.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Still Time to Come Back
1 Samuel 12:19-25 ESV
19 And all the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for ourselves a king.” 20 And Samuel said to the people, “Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. 21 And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty. 22 For the Lord will not forsake his people, for his great name's sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself. 23 Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you, and I will instruct you in the good and the right way. 24 Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you. 25 But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king.”
I believe many of us forget that Christ died for our sins - all of them. That means the horrible mess-up you had yesterday, or last week. The one that makes you feel embarrassed to come into the Lord's presence. The one that makes you feel too unworthy to even be called a Christian.
Well, stop beating yourself up. Christ took the beating for you. Nothing you did earned you your son-hood (Eph 2:8-9) so nothing you do will take it away. And even though you should mourn and detest the sin in your life, you shouldn't let it defeat you - because Christ defeated sin. You are not to take it lightly (Gal 5:13) but repent of it (1 John 1:9) and He will forgive you and cleanse.
Though Israel had turned from the Lord, they repented. Samuel encouraged them through the Lord and continued to pray for them. Why? Because they were a people that God set apart for Himself. So why should you be afraid to come back into His presence? Though you should fear the Almighty God, He still has set you apart for Himself (1 Peter 2:9).
Knowing that, realize that you will trip in your walk - just don't bury yourself when you do so but turn to the one who died for you and is willing to take you back with arms wide open. (See the story of the Prodigal Son, Luke 15:11-32).
19 And all the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for ourselves a king.” 20 And Samuel said to the people, “Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. 21 And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty. 22 For the Lord will not forsake his people, for his great name's sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself. 23 Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you, and I will instruct you in the good and the right way. 24 Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you. 25 But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king.”
I believe many of us forget that Christ died for our sins - all of them. That means the horrible mess-up you had yesterday, or last week. The one that makes you feel embarrassed to come into the Lord's presence. The one that makes you feel too unworthy to even be called a Christian.
Well, stop beating yourself up. Christ took the beating for you. Nothing you did earned you your son-hood (Eph 2:8-9) so nothing you do will take it away. And even though you should mourn and detest the sin in your life, you shouldn't let it defeat you - because Christ defeated sin. You are not to take it lightly (Gal 5:13) but repent of it (1 John 1:9) and He will forgive you and cleanse.
Though Israel had turned from the Lord, they repented. Samuel encouraged them through the Lord and continued to pray for them. Why? Because they were a people that God set apart for Himself. So why should you be afraid to come back into His presence? Though you should fear the Almighty God, He still has set you apart for Himself (1 Peter 2:9).
Knowing that, realize that you will trip in your walk - just don't bury yourself when you do so but turn to the one who died for you and is willing to take you back with arms wide open. (See the story of the Prodigal Son, Luke 15:11-32).
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